After the Storm
by freqOut
Summary: Lorelai and Luke's reconciliation after their breakup in season 5. Picks up at the end of ep 5x16 So, Good Talk. Rated R for nongraphic sexual situations.


_Summary: Luke and Lorelai's reconciliation the night of the kiss in episode 5.16: "So… Good Talk"._

How they got to this point, Luke wasn't sure. All he remembers is that they were kissing, and swooning, and there were tears, and sighs, and whimpers, and then there were explanations and apologies. He vaguely remembers stammering as he tried to explain to Lorelai how he ended up here in her house, kissing her—that it wasn't because her mother told him to go to her, but because she said things that made him realize that he had been stupid and pigheaded, and unforgiving—that Lorelai really was in as much pain as he had been in those past few weeks.

And he remembers Lorelai looking furious at first mention of Emily, but her face softened throughout his explanation until she was right in front of him once more, unnecessarily apologizing for everything, again, and cradling his face in her hands so carefully, like she was afraid of losing him again if she held onto him too tightly.

And now they were here, standing in the middle of her bedroom, staring at each other like they'd never done this before. The residual sadness that lingered in Lorelai's eyes sent Luke into action. He stepped forward, reaching out to her. The fingers of his trembling hands slid around Lorelai's waist, his thumbs working their way underneath her shirt to caress the soft skin of her abdomen. He felt her shiver at his touch. She still had that look of sadness in her eyes, as if she still couldn't believe this was true and was guarding herself from believing it out of fear of possibly being let down. He knew he had to show her how sorry he was, needed to show her that they were going to work out. Forever.

His hands slid around to her back, gathering her to him, his right hand moving up to cradle her head as he kissed her neck softly. He felt her hands splay across his back and shoulders, her fingers stretching and flexing, bunching his flannel in her fists. He heard her sighing as his reassuring lips sprinkled kisses along her chest and collarbone.

Lorelai moaned then as Luke slid his hands back around her ribcage to tease at the delicate swell of her breasts, and somewhere in the back of his mind it occurred to him that they were still wearing entirely too many clothes. The foggy realization that she had just frustratedly stamped her foot while simultaneously making a little whining noise made him both smile and realize that they were probably both thinking the same thing. He pulled back, kissed her hungrily, and reached for the zipper of her hoodie. As soon as it and the tank top underneath were off, Lorelai immediately unbuttoned and removed his flannel. They took turns like this, removing each other's clothing in a back-and-forth rhythm they had perfected over the past few months; the same sort of rhythm they had perfected in their verbal banter over the past 8 years that they've known each other.

Once all clothes were shed, the next few minutes was a mixture of frenzy, the desperate need to be together again, and the need to go slow and savor what they had been without for so long.

So they kissed. And kissed and kissed. Slowly, exploring and relearning each other's mouths; all soft lips and warm tongues. And then they'd lose control again, needing to be impossibly close to one another, and they'd press their bodies against each other's, drunken by the feel of the other's skin on theirs once more. And in response, their kisses would turn from slow and gentle into something hard and fast and needy.

Somehow, though neither really knows how, they had ended up next to Lorelai's bed. Unwilling to disengage from their embrace for even a moment, they tumbled down together in a mass of limbs and laughter. It felt good to Lorelai to laugh again; really, truly laugh. Not just a fake laugh to make believe she was fine and to keep everyone from repeatedly asking her if she was okay, but a real laugh she felt rising from deep in her gut. And hearing Luke's low, husky chuckle and feeling it rumble against her chest was almost enough to send her over the edge already. In fact, she was almost pushed over the edge a moment later when one of Luke's large, skillful hands moved to pleasure her below and his other hand and his mouth began to work their magic on her breasts. She yelped out his name and yanked his head up by his hair, apologizing when he looked up at her. "The train's pulling into the station, if you know what I mean," she said with a smirk, and smiled sheepishly as she settled herself against the pillows, watching him as he positioned himself over her. At this point, the feelings of everything that happened between them over the past weeks all started flooding back to her. These feelings had been clouded for just a little while tonight by their want for each other and realization that they didn't lose everything they'd found with each other. But now, with Luke hovering over her, looking at her with such love and adoration in his eyes, she couldn't help but remember what they had almost lost. As she guided him inside of her, she was surprised by the rush of emotion she felt, and the sound of a sob escaping her own throat before feeling the hot tears flooding her eyes.

Luke, looking startled and so concerned before seemingly realizing exactly what this was about, dropped to his elbows, wrapped his arms around her, and held her so tightly. She wrapped her own arms and legs around him whispering, "Luke, I need you," hoping that her voice didn't sound as desperate to him as it did to herself. And she could swear that she felt wetness of tears from his eyes on her shoulder. She sniffled, and then moved her hips in a slow circle, signaling to him that right now, she needed him in more ways than one. He pulled away from her slightly so that he could kiss her tenderly, and then he began to move slowly, holding her gaze the whole time. Lorelai still was so close and didn't need much more stimulation than this. The angle and rhythm were so perfect, allowing her to come to her peak slowly, being able to savor every amazing feeling. And right before she was sent over the edge, she whispered words of love in Luke's ear, bringing him into ecstasy with her.

Afterwards, Lorelai held him in her embrace, not allowing him to move from on top of her. As their breathing slowed, and Lorelai continuously ran her fingers through Luke's hair, she expected to hear him start to doze off, which wasn't a problem for her; she could have stayed underneath his weight all night. But she knew he was still awake. Just when she started to fear that maybe he'd changed his mind about it all, he lifted his head, looking directly into her eyes.

"I love you too, you know," he said softly, fingering a lock of her hair.

Lorelai's smile was brilliant as she kissed him and squeezed her arms around him even tighter.


End file.
